| by Bill Ralston, 1981 Introduction In the December 1980 issue of the 'Scots Magazine' there appeared an article by Elizabeth Sutherland a noted novelist and feature writer. Following this article an exiled Bailliestonian, Bill Ralston of Rhode Island, U.S.A., wrote to the magazine's editor expressing his enjoyment of the article. He sent copies of the letter to Elizabeth Sutherland and myself. I was so impressed by the local history content of the letter, particularly the 'human interest' angle, that I wrote to Mr. Ralston acknowledging his fine letter and seeking his permission for it to be added to our local history collection. I was delighted to receive a reply to the effect that he was only too pleased to allow this. Thus, I arranged for copies to be made for lending purposes. Pat Woods, Librarian, Baillieston Library.
"Dear Editor, Last week a Scottish friend brought me a copy of the Scots Magazine dated December 1980. What a thrill it was to read your article about my home town, "Beautiful Baillieston". Let me introduce myself. I am Bill Ralston, one of eleven children - seven daughters and four sons - born to George and Jean Ralston of Muirend on February 15, 1900. We all lived happily in a room and kitchen with the beds in the wall, one cold water faucet and an open coal fire. Thanks to our wonderful mother we had three meals a day, a clean bed to sleep in, and a home that shone with cleanliness. I still can't comprehend how she was able to so much on a cliier's pay of three to four pounds a week, such as cleaning, laundry, feeding and giving birth to a child every two years. We were all born at home and for that event mother had the help of a wonderful mid-wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Burt. We children knew Mrs. Burt brought the babies in her satchel and you could have your choice of a girl or a boy. Dr. Willis arrived in his beautiful horse and carriage, dressed in a tall hat and a swallow-tail coat to oversee the delivery. No germs dared to touch the patient, and then all involved in the delivery had a cup of tea and a dram. I'm sure the baby got his share from his mother. The years from 1900 - 1914 went quickly. School was a challenge and there was always football at the end of the school day. We all wanted to follow in the footsteps of our heros Willie Read, the great centre forward of the Rangers, and Fister Walls, the great left half-back of the Rangers. In 1926 I had the great pleasure of playing centre half for Providence against 'Whitey' McDonald of Bethlehem Steel who later played for Glasgow Rangers. I was fourteen when the First World War shattered our world. On my fourteenth birthday my school days ended and i hated to leave them as our headmaster, Mr. Redpath was not only an excellent teacher but a friend to his students. I entered the Clydeside Pit the following Monday and what a traumatic experience that was. To put a fourteen year old in the mine after graduating in the top three of the class made me realise this was not the way I wanted to make a living. I wanted wider horizons. That year the Territorials were the first to leave and I can still see them swinging down the Glasgow Road singing, laughing, and proclaiming they would be back in two weeks when they beat the Kaiser. In 1917 with the war still on, I decided I should join one of the services, so I answered an advertisment by the Marconi Wireless School for training as a wireless officer in the Merchant Marine. The Merchant Marine was then part of the Royal Navy. I applied to the school and on passing the examination, was accepted. The course would take 9 - 12 months of evening classes four nights a week and the registration was 20 pounds. My entire wealth was 2/6d a week pocket money. One of my married sisters and her husband loaned me the money and i agreed to pay them back when able. 1917 was a busy year attending Wireless School four nights a week, working in Robertson's pub two nights from 5 - 10 for 2/6d and pumping the organ in St.John's anglican Church for Miss Boyd the organist for a sixpence a week. To graduate from Marconi Wireless School a student had to be able to send and receive twenty words a minute in Morse Code and know the various pieces of apparatus. At the end of the nine months I took the exam and received my certificate. I was now ready to take over my duties as a Wireless Officer on any ship in the Merchant Marine and the Marconi Co. would pay me 6 pounds a month. I still think we were the poorest paid members of the entire ship's crew. It was a happy day when I exchanged my pit clothes for a Wireless Officer's uniform, and set out to see the world. My adventures for three years(1918 - 1921) would fill a book. On my first voyage we were torpedoed off the Irish coast and after a day in a lifeboat with 27 men and a dog, were rescued by Irish fishermen. Then all over the world in tramp steamers and ocean liners. In Russia when the Armistice was signed. To Australia with 500 honeymoon couples - servicemen who had married British and French girls. India with the British India Co., trading from Bombay to Basra in the Persian Gulf for six months. In the Mediterranean, Spain, Greece, North Africa, Malta, Crete and Canada. I was interested in your account of Sir Patrick Dollan. He was my senior by fifteen years but I still remember the year 1916 or thereabouts when he and the Martin brothers and Johnny Breslin and a few youngsters, myself included (a young rebel), met in my Uncle Baldy's picture house to discuss improving some local living conditions; especially toilet facilities. At Muirend there was only one "two holer" for 30 people and all we asked was one more. To bring this before the public caused such a storm that the kindly police sergeant asked us to stop disturbing the peace. It took a number of years to improve that condition and I'm glad I had a "wee" hand in it. Today in my home i have three bathrooms, and many a time I think back to the conditions as they existed in Muirend. Yet these were happy days despite the conditions. My dear wife Jane, after listening to all the tales of my boyhood in Baillieston and of my childhood, composed the excellent poem, "Thouchts O' Hame". should you care to print it some Bailliestonians may remember those days. If Baillieston ever has an honour roll of its distinguished citizens, I hope that Bob Baird who ran the Band of Hope at the U.P. Church is remembered for the parties for the youngsters of the town, also miss Lownes who did the same at St.John's Anglican church. also Mrs. Elizabeth Burt who performed miracles under very trying circumstances, at times, in delivering into this world hundreds of babies. I've lived in the U.S.A. for 60 years but when I think of home it is always BEAUTIFUL BAILLIESTON. Yours sincerely, William H. Ralston 900 Reservoir Avenue, Cranston, Rhode Island, U.S.A. . | 
